and waited.
We had our duffel bags with us. We rarely left home without them. Cole knocked on the door like they were expecting us, and a man answered. Cole shoved the door into his face, knocking him into the room. I entered and slammed it shut. Cole was already on the man, so I grabbed the woman and had her face down on the bed before she could even scream. I placed duct tape over her mouth and then tied her hands and feet together with it as well before I threw a hood over her head. Cole did the same to the man. We took them back to the docks I had been at earlier in the day and carried them into the office.
We didn’t play with them for very long. Cole fucked up the man pretty good with his fists, then took his knife and cut off the guy’s dick while he was still alive. I didn’t know what these people had done, but it was clear they had pissed him the fuck off. They were both druggies. I had grabbed their bathroom bag from their hotel and found a syringe and some heroin in it. After I heated it up into liquid, I shot it into her. I’m not sure if she died from the drugs I gave her or the fact that I never removed the tape from her mouth and she choked on her own vomit. It didn’t matter. They both died. We killed them.
After they were both dead, we stood there in that office. Cole had told me that Austin’s stepdad had touched her. Sexually. The first time she was ten. It was then that I realized just how much he loved her. And how far I would go to protect his girl for him. She was one of us—a shark—and we protect our own. No matter what.
“Well.” Demi’s mother clears her throat. “I hope you wait a while before you get married. Finish school—”
“We’re thinking January,” Austin interrupts her.
Two months from now.
“That’s awesome,” Demi says with a big smile on her face. “I’ve always wondered why couples have long-drawn-out engagements. If you love each other, why not do it sooner?”
Angelica does not share her daughter’s excitement. You would think this is me and Demi wanting to tie the knot.
“Have you found a venue already?” Angelica asks. Now she’s just being nosy. “Not sure you will have much luck on availability with such short notice.”
“Oh, we already know.” Austin smiles, looking over at Cole. “An abandoned cemetery.”
Demi’s mother chokes on her fucking slimy snail.
“It’s where we first met,” she adds.
Cole reaches out and takes her hand. He brings her knuckles to his lips and kisses them softly. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
Demi has her elbows on the table, her chin in her hands, and she looks at them wistfully. And I realize that I will do anything to keep that look on her face. It’s crazy how pissed off she used to always look. She hated the world. Now she’s always smiling at me. And laughing. Fuck, that laugh. I tickle her just to hear it. I toss her over my shoulder to hear her squeal my name. And I lie awake at night to watch her sleep. I wonder what it would have been like if I would have picked her instead of Becky. I never even looked at Demi. She was once nonexistent to me. Just like she was to everyone else. But I see her now. And she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
DEMI
“That didn’t go too bad.” Austin laughs as we enter their house.
I told my mother after dinner that I was staying with Austin tonight. I didn’t think that she knew Deke lived with them, and when she didn’t tell me no, then I was positive she didn’t know.
“It could have gone worse.” I agree.
I’ll have to listen to it tomorrow. About how much of her life she is throwing away to marry a man who can leave her at any given moment. My mother believes a woman should pay her own way, unless you’re Becky. Well, then a career doesn’t matter.
I make my way upstairs to Deke’s room. I’m removing my shirt when he enters. He walks into his bathroom, and I quickly finish getting undressed before crawling underneath his cool covers. Seconds later, he walks out and does the same, but he leaves his black boxers on.
I frown over at him as he turns the light off.